People waved flags from Russia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali at a rally to fete the withdrawal of the three Sahelian nations from the Economic Community of West African States
People waved flags from Russia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali at a rally to fete the withdrawal of the three Sahelian nations from the Economic Community of West African States AFP

Thousands of people rallied in junta-led Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali on Tuesday to back their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc, due to take effect Wednesday.

The departure of these three founding members from the bloc has fractured the region and is leaving the ECOWAS grouping with an uncertain future.

The three countries have teamed up to form a separate confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

They had formally notified ECOWAS of their plan for an "immediate" withdrawal in January 2024, alleging the organisation's excessive dependence on France in particular.

Paris has become the common enemy of the three juntas, which now favour partnerships with countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.

However, ECOWAS required one-year's notice for the departure to be effective, a deadline that falls on Wednesday.

In Niger, thousands of people led by members of the military regime gathered around a square in the capital Niamey on Tuesday before heading towards the nearby National Assembly.

They chanted slogans hostile to French President Emmanuel Macron as well as other leaders in the region with whom Niger has strained relations, such as Benin, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

"On January 28, 2024 we announced our exit from ECOWAS with immediate effect. Many thought it was a joke, that we were going to go back on our decision," said Ibro Amadou Bacharou, private chief of staff of Niger's junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani.

"This is ending today, there is nothing left between ECOWAS and us," he said.

In Burkina Faso, thousands including Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo and other members of the government gathered in Ouagadougou's Nation square.

"Long live AES, down with ECOWAS," one banner read. Another said: "Goodbye hand-tied ECOWAS, long live free AES."

Some protesters also carried flags of the three Sahel countries or that of Russia.

"To cut the cord of imperialism... this will not be done by the tender hands of a midwife, but by an axe," Ouedraogo said.

In Mali, crowds rallied at Kurukanfuga, an emblematic area near the capital Bamako where the new constitution of the Mandingo empire was declared in the 13th century following a major victory.

"ECOWAS has turned its back on the ideals of its founding fathers as well as pan-Africanism," said Samou Samuel Kone, one of the organisers, saying it had "become a hindrance for the development of member states".

The AES trio are also set to release Wednesday their own common passports and have announced the creation of a 5,000-member unified army to fight jihadism.